15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, July 15, 2018

The theme of the proclamation of the word of God, not always in favorable conditions, is coming back again. In 800 BC, the prophet Amos, who prophesized in the name of God, Yahweh, appears a “persona non grata” in the Kingdom of Israel, because he reveals the disfavorable things to King Jeroboam II, who governed that time. In the Gospel, Jesus is sending his disciples giving them instructions how to proclaim the word of God in the world. First of all, they should go two by two to support each other. But they have to be conscience that the environment very often will be not on their side. This is why, they have to keep peace of mind, to be poor trusting in God; not complaining, but listen to the people to whom they go. When the people do not receive them, they should not to curse them, although “leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them”, and later on go to other houses with the same mission. “So they went off and preached repentance. The twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them”. As we can see, the disciples followed the instruction of their Master and were effective in their work, because of their poverty and simplicity which was allowed through the working of the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Jesus asks them to do giving them power over evil spirits. In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul praises their great trust to God speaking about their election in Jesus Christ by God and their vocation to be holy without blemish before Him. It appears the Christians of Ephesus already drew from the source of salvation, found in Jesus, which the apostles proclaimed from the beginning of their mission, and this was the final result. Now, they could draw from the source of salvation becoming the adopted children of God. In Christ they receive the forgiveness of transgressions, gaining the knowledge and wisdom to understand the mysteries of God, of which they started to be heirs. There is a stake to our salvation.